Bartola Garrido

Description

Part of Guampedia's Women in Guam History commemorative poster series. All posters in this series consist of an image of the individual being recognized, along with a brief biography with notable accomplishments. Poster design by Odyessa San Nicolas.

Bartola Garrido (mid-1800s to early 1900s) was an enigmatic figure in the history of Guam and Micronesia. Born during the Spanish colonial administration, Garrido left Guam in the late 1800s and ended up in Yap, where, along with her husband, the couple began a trading business and pushed for the establishment of a Spanish colony there. When a German ship arrived to lay claim to the island, Garrido bravely protested by raising a flag of Spanish colors. She later set up a school for the native children and brought teachers from Guam to assist, thus establishing a Chamorro community in Yap that persisted until World War II.